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Blue Jays' Alek Manoah calls Yankees ace ‘worst cheater’ in MLB history

Thomas Hall
Contributing Writer
·2 min read
406
Even in the offseason, Toronto Blue Jays star pitcher Alek Manoah can't help talking trash. (Getty Images)

There is no love lost between Alek Manoah and Gerrit Cole.

The Toronto Blue Jays ace joined NBA star Serge Ibaka on the latest episode of Sportsnet’s “How Hungry Are You?” mini-feature and spilled the tea on a few baseball-related questions with the former Raptor.

Before the pair enjoyed cricket tea and dish consisting of fish sperm, Ibaka asked Manoah who he thinks the worst cheater is baseball. The 24-year-old quickly answered with Cole, the New York Yankees star hurler, who has been heavily scrutinized for his alleged use of spider tack in previous seasons.

"Gerrit Cole," Manoah uttered. "He used a lot of sticky stuff to make his pitches better, and he kinda got called out on it."

The relationship between Manoah and Cole reached a boiling point in August, as things kicked off between the two All-Star pitchers after outfielder Aaron Judge was hit by an inside fastball. Nothing ever materialized, though, aside from some shouting back and forth.

After the game, Manoah responded to Cole’s reaction by saying, “I think if Gerrit wants to do something, he can walk past the Audi sign next time," referring to the advertising just in front of the dugouts.

Baseball fans shouldn’t have to wait much longer for the right-hander's next showdown versus the New York Yankees, as the Blue Jays will visit the Bronx from Apr. 21-23. So, hopefully, everyone will be treated to a Manoah-Cole matchup.

Manoah, a 6-foot-6, 260-pound pitcher, also told Ibaka that he would want teammate Vladimir Guerrero Jr. - who stands 6-foot-2, 250 pounds - by his side if he ever got into an actual fight. Chances are that duo would fare pretty well.

As for which of Manoah’s teammates would run and hide from a fight? Odds are you’d probably see Ross Stripling avoiding any scraps, at least according to the 2022 American League Cy Young finalist.

The 2022 All-Star has quickly become a star - both on and off the field - throughout the sporting landscape. It also helps that he isn’t afraid to speak his mind whenever the opportunity presents itself.

Last season, Manoah logged 196.2 innings over 31 starts, posting a 2.24 ERA and a 3.35 FIP during his second big-league season. He was also worth a career-best 4.1 fWAR.

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